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Patiala graft case: Asst tax commissioner sent to one-day vigilance remand
The vigilance bureau, on Thursday, has taken assistant excise and taxation commissioner (AETC) Rajesh Bhandari on one-day demand for accepting bribe of ₹5 lakh.
The vigilance bureau, on Thursday, has taken assistant excise and taxation commissioner (AETC) Rajesh Bhandari on one-day demand for accepting bribe of ₹5 lakh.
Bhandari, who was posted at Shambhu barrier in the excise and taxation department’s (mobile wing), was arrested by the VB sleuths after his driver was caught accepting bribe on his behalf in Chandigarh on Wednesday.
Vigilance senior superintendent of police (SSP) Jaspreet Singh Sidhu said that Bhandari was arrested on complaint of a Ludhiana-based transporter, Daljeet Singh, who had claimed that the officer was allegedly demanding bribe of ₹25 lakh for clearing his goods transport permit for inter-state borders.
“The transporter had set a deal at ₹10 lakh and informed the vigilance bureau about the same. Following this, a trap was laid and the officer’s driver was arrested accepting the first instalment of ₹5 lakh from Bhandari’s Chandigarh-based residence,” he said.
The SSP said that during preliminary interrogation, it came to fore that the accused AETC officer was to receive the bribe in instalments. “It is one of the biggest cache as more transporters from the region are filing affidavits related to bribery sought by the accused,” Sidhu said.
He added that the AETC was posted at Shambhu and was looking after transportation of goods from Shambhu to Chandigarh.
He said that a case has been registered against the accused under the Prevention of Corruption Act and further investigation is on.
